Spin vane control for fans



May 11, 1948. co 2,441,427

SPIN VANE CONTROL FOR FANS Filed Oct. 22, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l 7 JITJ 34J L65 ITIUGTT Tar.

R/and A L hco/q By W 0'- W mivrney May 11, 1948. 4 R. 1.. LINCOLN 2,441,427

I SPIN VANE CONTROL FOR FANS File d Oct. 22, 1945 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fr verfior. Po/a/m L'- L/nco(q Mam, n, 194a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE vans. con'ra'or. son ms saun -erases Thisinventionrelatestoiannandrelatm more particularly to fans with spin vanes in the letsioradiustinsthevoiumesoisaspassins throughtheians. ,i

The H. 1". Hagen, U. 8. Patent No. 1,846,008.

disclosestheuseotspinvsneswithcentriiulfl ians for varyingthe gas volumes withcorrespondingvariationsinthepowercon sinned. It is-necessary to use a large number,

oi vanes for providing the desiredresult, and

to rotate all vanes simultaneously with a single require control. The vane adiustin's mechanisms servicing from time to time. and with the prior v constructions it has'beenidiiilcult tor a service man in thefleldtoobteinaccesstotheadiustmechanisms and to An obiect of this invention accessible for servicin Other obiectsoi' the invention areto simplify :gifln vane controls for fans; and to reducetheir fan;

Fig. 4 is an endview'or'three of the vane adjusting members, withthe vanes shownindashed outline midway between open and closed positions;

Fig. 5 isanendviewoi one of the vane ad-- lusting members with its vane shown in dashed outline in open position;-

Fig.6isanendviewoicneoithevaneii lusting members with its associated vane'shown in dashed outline in closed-position, and

Fig. 'l is a plan view looking downwardly upon one of the resilient strips used for connecting the diflerent vane adjusting members. to a common adjusting ring. g

Theian illustrated has the wheel II. the scroll outlet II, and the two opposite scroll inlets it. Thewheel llismoimtedontheshait "which is supported in the two bearinss it, and rotated bytheconstantspeemelectricmotorll. b

Each scroll inlet l2 vanes it which are pivotedon thestuds ll which, inturn, are spaced equal distances apart and arransed s f;(c|. see-114) and same. I m vane controls for ians', which are more readily -30 Ian wheel and one of the scrollinlets of the z theinletsotthewheelil. The inletscrollsi! areeonnectedbytheductsiltoacommongas source.

' The construction described in the toresoins is conventional-and essentially that disclosed in said Hagen patent; The novel features added by this invention will be described in the iollowing. The levers "are attached to the vanes ll,-and rotate about the pivot studs II. The cams 1 II have the curved outer surfaces 2| which conthe inner surfaces of the strips 21, and .whiehmaybeiormed as'clrcular arcs with centers 'at the centers of the studs II, or may have other curvatures as will be described. Each lever it 15 he'saf tspped openins adjacent one end 01' its surface II tor-receiving themachine screw 22. Thestripslt are of spring metal and have the slots v iornied therein adjacent corresponding .attachedto N and are-threaded into thejtapped openings in as the levers I. described in the ioresoing, and serve attach one end ot-each of thestrips 23 to one to ot'the levers II. the other end of each of the II being attached to oneoi the rings 26 asviously described.

e rings 2! are rotatably supp r ed on the ers II which in turn, are rotatably mounted the studs Ii which are attached to the end the Ian. Each ring 28 has asear segment 34 formed thereon and which meshes 35 with the worm gear 35 attached tothe shaft 36.

There are two'shaits it, one for eachring 28, and these shaits'have the bevel gears 31 attached thereto. The gears 31 mesh with the bevel gears a which are attadied to the shaft 3! on which 40 is mounted the control wheel 40 'which may be used for rotating the rings 28.

Rotation of the hand wheel 40 causes through the bevel gears 31 and 38, the worm gears 35 and the gear segments It, the rings 28 to rotate.

5' When one of the rinas. 2B is rotated in a. clockwise direction with respectto Figs. 2, 4, 5 and 6, it adiusts its associated vanes It towards closed positicns by movingthestrips 28 in a clockwise direction against the levers I. which, in turn, rotate thevanesllinaclockwisedirectiontowards closed positions.

- when one at the rings 28 is rotatedby the hand wheel ll] in a counterclockwise direction with .respecttorigs.2,4,5and6otthedrawing. the

on the circumierence of a circle concentric with strips 2! pull the levers "in a counterclockwise crate to prevent undesired deformation of the u strips. Asillustratedbyl'lgs.4,5and8,asthc stripsllaremovedtoadjustthevaneslito dliferent positions, large portionsoftheirsm-faces are pressed against the inner surfaces of the ringsl'lorarewrappedagainsttheoutersurfaoes ll of the levers II. This prevents buckling ofthestrips.

The curved surfaces ll of the levers 2| may be cam surfaces shaped to provide a uniform rate of adjustment of the vanes, or may be shaped to 25 provide non-uniform ram of adjustmentif this is desired.

The positions of individual vanes can be adjusted by loosening the screws 22 and adjusting same along the slots 24. deformation of the fan casing, such adjustments I are desirable for preventing binding of the m.

As illustrated by the drawing, the vane mov- Due at times to the go '4 meansforrotatingsaidringforcausingsaid atrlpsandsaidleverstorotatesaidvanes.

tlnafanhavingarotonaninlettosamrotor and a plurality of spin vanes pivoted in said inlet. the combination of levers attached to said vanes, said levers having curved outer surfaces, a ring. a plurality of resilient strips, means attaching said strips adjacent their ends to said surfaces and said ring, said attaching means inciudingmeansforvaryingthelengthsofsaid strips between said ring and said levers, and

means for rotating said ring for causing said strips and said levers to rotate said vanes.

8. In a fan having a rotor, an inlet to said rotor and a plurality of spin vanes pivoted in said inlet, the combination of levers attached to said vanes, said levers having curved outer surfaces, a ring having a circular inner surface in alignment with said outer surfaces. a plurality of resilient strips, means attaching said strips adjacent their ends to said inner and outer surfaces. said attaching means including means for varying the lengths of said strips between said ring and said levers, and means for rotating said ring for causing said strips and said levers to rotate said vanes.

4. In a fan having a rotor, an inlet to said rotor, and a plurality of spin vanes pivoted in said inlet. the pivots of said vanes extending in a circle the plane of which is perpendicular to the axis of the rotor: the combination of a plurality of levers attached to said vanes at said pivots; said levers having their outer ends formed as curved cam surfaces, a ring having a circular inner surface around and aligned radially with said cam sur- 1. 18 m ms are 011 the M110! 0! the 1m 85 faces; a plurality of strips of spring metal becasing, and are readily accessible for servicing and replacement.

Other advantages of the present construction are that there is less friction, less lost motion due tween and in radial alignment with said inner surface of said ring and said cam surfaces, each of said strips being attached at one end to said ring and at its other end to one of said cam surto back lash, and the mechanism is less elpenslve 40 fa es, and means for rotating said ring for u to manufacture and to install.

While one embodiment of the invention has been described for the purpose of illustration, it should be understood that the invention is not ing said strips and said levers to rotate said vanes towards open and closed positions.

5. The combination as claimed in claim 4 in which the cam surfaces are spaced the thicklimited t0 the apparatus and m 45 nesses of the strips from the inner surface of the illustrated as modifications thereof may be suggested by those skilled in the art, without departure from the essence of the invention.

What is claimed is:

ring when the vanes are in closed positions.

ROLAND L. LINCOLN.

REFERENCES CITED 1. In a fan havin a rotor. an inl 881d 10W "60 The following references are of record in the and a plurality of spin vanes pivoted in said inletpthe combination of levers attached to 'said vanes, a ring. a plurality of resilient strips, means attaching said strips adjacent their ends to said levers and to said ring. said attaching means 55 file of this patent:

' UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,846,883 Hagen Feb. 23, 1932 1,978,129 Downs Oct. 23, 1934 2,382,918 Robinson Aug. 14, 1945 

